Valve stem straightening fixture



Dec, 15, 1931, J, R. RICKETTS VALVE STE M STRAIGHTENING FIXTURE Filed May 51, 1930 INVENTO a g rrii/i ATTORNEY Patented Dec. '15, 193 1 JAMES R. RICKETTS, or RICHMOND, CA IFO NIA VALVE STEM STRAIGHTENING FIXT'UEE I Application filed May 31,

The invention is for an emergency straightening fixture and has particular reference to the straightening of emergency valve stems of Westinghouse air brake valves.

' The main object of the invention is to providea manually operated device for testing and straightening emergency valve stems and indicating any eccentricity existing in said valve stem.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a manuallyoperated device in which any eccentricity in valve stems may readily be detected, and corrected, quickly and conveniently, by means of a straightening device,

1 "adapted for operation at an effective point on said valve stem.

lVith these and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description is set forth, and in the'appended claims, the drawings-are made to illustrate the invention in vention, or sacrificing any of the advantages" what is believed to be its most desirable form however, it will be noted that changes in the form or construction may be made without detracting from the spirit or scope of the 111- thereof, as set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, similar characters of reference are used to indicate similar parts throughoutthc several views, in

which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view indicating an emergency valve in dotted lines in position for testing and straightening;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device;

Fig. 4. indicates, in dotted lines, one type of emergency valve to which the device is particularly adapted for testing and straightening operations.

Reference numeral 1 indicates a valve of the type to which the invention is particularly adapted and mounted in position for testing and straightening of the shaft 2. A pair of oppositely disposed side plates 3 and (5 are provided with an arcuate recess 4, adapted to receive the ends 5 of shaft 2. Aper tures 7 in plates 3 and 6 provide bearings for index shaft 8. Aperturesare also provided to receive bolts 9 and 10; Plates 3 and 6 are retained in parallelism and in spaced rela- 1930. Serial 1%. 453,341.

tion by nieansof cylindrical spacers 11 and 12, bolts 9 and 10 being admitted through a centrally disposed aperture in said'spacers, suitable 'nuts13beingprovidedfor bolts 9 and 10 for the purpose of rigidlyconnecting the structure. Index shaft 8 projects through apertures-7 and is closely fitted therein, andis provided wit-ha retaining pin or cotter 1stat one end adjacent plated-the-index' pointer 15 providing retaining means at the opposite end adjacent plate 3. Afeeler 16, I

integral, or pressed into; shaft 8, also provides anchorage for tors'io-i jspring '17 which s j htted about shaft 8 and-has ts reactive an-- chorage on spacer 11, as indicated. 'A head 18 is mounted on spacers .12, said spacers being equally disposed on opposite sides of 5 and relative to a centerfline through-arcuatej recess Centrally disposed between the spacer apertures in head 18 a through tapped hole is provided to cooperate with the jack screw 19 oppositelydisposed and 'inspaced relation to said" spacer apertures! Pilot apertures 20 are provided to cooperate with pilots 21., Jack screw 19 1s provided'wlth a-' knurled'head 22 of a proper size for con ven ent 'inanip'ulatlon of said jack screw.

The anvil 23 is provided withtapped holes 2 1 coooeratin with the threaded 'ortion of pilots 21, said tapped holes'2l being'so disposed as to register with pilot apertures 20 in head 18.- A facing 25 is provided to prevent scoring or marring of valve stem 2,

and maybe provided in the form of resilient material or a soft metal, such as copper. A setscrew 30 is provided for retaininghead 18 in relative positionto-feeler 16. r

Index plate. 26'is provided with an index mark 2.7 to cooperate with index pointer 15. A suitable bracket 28 is provided having the mounting hole 29 for I conveniently mountingsaid fixture, said bracket being attached i to said fixture bymeans of bolts 10.

The operation of fthe-inventionis as follows: A valve of the type indicated in "Fig;

4: placed with ends 5 in'arcuate recesses i in side plates 3 and 6', with feeler l6 disposed ii 7 against the rearof shaft 2. Anvil 23 is advanced bylineans'of jack-screw 19 to such" position as to retain shaft 5 in arcuate recesses "valve stem straightening means comprising 7 an anvil, a pair of pilots or guidesintegral 4;. Valve 1 is then revolved, and any eccentricity or error existing in the valve stem 2 will be indicated by means of feeler 16, 00- operating with spring 17, movement of said feeler 16 being transmitted, by means of index shaft 8 to inner; pointer 15, the deviation of pointer 15, -from index mark 27 indi-.

eating the amount of error in said valve stem. The valve is turned so as to present the convex surface relative to the aXis of said stem,

in contact with said anvil, jack screw -19 being-advanced, thus springing shaft 2 and thereby straightening said shaft. Head 18 is mounted on spacers l2 insuch position as to be oppositely disposed relative to valve stem 2. f i

l claim c 1. In combination, a pair of side plates in spaced relatiom said side plates beingprovided with arcuate recesses, in matched relation, said recesses being adapted to fit the ends of an emer ency valve stem, an indicator cooperating with said valve stem, a pressure member in opposition to said arcuate recesses,

, saidpressure member being adjustable transversely relativeto saidvalve stem, and-axially retained on'tlie supports for said pressure member, and oppositely disposed relativeto said indicator actuating means.

2. In' combination, a pair of side plates in spaced relation and parallel one to the other, spacing and retaining means between said sideplates, an arcuaterecess in each of said side plates, in matched relation, and adapted to retain'the stem of an emergency valve, a

feelerjtor cooperating with, and adapted to be resiliently retained against said valve stem,

said feelei: cooperating with an index pointer to indicate deviation fIOllTtlLlG axial align- .mentof said valve stem, and manually operated ineans for straightening said valve stem, and disposed oppositely relative to said feeler.

3. In combination, a pair of side platesin spaced relation and parallel one to the other,

spacing and-retaining means between said plates, a recess in each of said plates in matchedrelation and adapted to receive an emerg ncyvalve stem, an indicating device comprisingaieeler for acting-on the periph- ,ery of'said valve stem, said feeler being pivotally mounted-between said side plates, resilient means adapted for retaining said feeler in contact with said valve stennand an indicating pointerattached to said feeler pivot,

with orattached to said anvil, a head oppositely mounted'relative to said feeler on said .,s.pacing means, apertures in said head coope'ratingvwith said pilots or guides, a screw centrally disposed in said head between said pilots or guides, one end of said'screw abuttingicentrally of said anvil, and a head for said-screw adapting same for manual opercating mark on said housing whereby the co incidence of said pointer w th said indicating mark signifies true axial alignment of said valvestein, a straightening device adapted to operate.inopposition to said valve'stem sup-V port, said straightening device comprising a guided member, a thrust member cooperating with said guided member, said tlirust inember being mounted in parallelism with said:

side of, and a cent to said housing, an indivalve stem retaining means, a threaded mem- ,7

her cooperating with said thrust member, said threaded memberabutting said guided memher and adapted to provide sufiicient pressure J to straighten said'valve stem.

In testimonywhereof I-affix my signature.

JAMES R. RIGKETTS]: 

